Thanking God for our blessings Our winter barley ripened quickly this year, and soon the combine harvesters were rolling here on the Northumberland / Scottish Border. As the first trailer load of grain came into the shed, I ran my hands through the golden grains, offering a short prayer of thankfulness as I savoured the smell of fresh cut barley. It was a good harvest. I’ve often reflected on the Old Testament festival of the Firstfruits, where the Israelites offered the very first sheaf of the spring harvest to God (Leviticus 23:9-14). I think this act required great faith, as they trusted God for a fruitful harvest to come, something that was far from certain, given their utter dependence on the weather. I’m not sure about you, but I’m always up for giving thanks after the event. I’ll sing ‘Come ye thankful people come’ and rejoice that “all is safely gathered in”, but am I able to trust with anticipation for what is yet to come? The festival of the Firstfruits reminded God’s people that everything they had came from Him. I am reminded that I must learn (and relearn) to trust in God, who has proven His faithfulness to me, over and over again. Perhaps right now as a church community or an individual you’re waiting for a certain event, standing on the cusp of a new initiative, praying for a certain outcome or anticipating a long-held vision becoming reality. Let’s all keep trusting that whatever the challenge, however things turn out, irrespective of what we anticipate, God is going before us and has secured the Firstfruits of an even greater harvest through Jesus, as He rose from the dead. Just as the grain offering to God in the Old Testament anticipated a harvest to come, Paul reminds us that Jesus’ victory anticipates an even greater bodily resurrection and eternal peace (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). As we continue our journey with Jesus through the challenges of each day, let’s do so with a deepening faith and trust. In the meantime, bring on the harvest – I’ll see you on the other side! (This comes from a blog by Alistair Birkett, director of Rural Ministries for Scotland and Northern England taken from Parish Pump website. You can read more at: https://www.ruralministries.org.uk/blog/anticipatingtheharvest? 5
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